Ironing table



Jan. 19, 1937. G. w. LEWIS 2,063,274

\ IRONING TABLE 7 Filed Sept. 25, 1934, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 650m: WZEW/J TTORNEYS G. W. LEWIS IRONING TABLE Jan. 19, 1937.

Filed Sept. 25, 19:54 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 65am: MjfW/J BY 7 W ff/M TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1937 2,068,274

UHTED STATES ATENT OFFIQE IRONING TABLE George W. Lewis, Berlin, Mass.

Application September 25, 1934, Serial No. 745,409

8 Claims. (01. 38-107) This invention relates to an improved ironing and cross braces and are upset as at l9 against table of the folding type. washers 20 to rivet the cross braces in place. Among the objects of the invention is to secure This use of the diagonal braces as rivets greatly greater strength and rigidity in the supporting simplifies the construction and increases the stastructure at the same time that the necessary bility of the structure since the diagonal braces D manipulation in folding and unfolding the table are directly connected to both the legs and the is greatly simplified, thus increasing the facility cross braces. Furthermore, this construction rewith which the board may be handled. duces the number of points of connections which A further object is the provision of means for are subject to wearing and loosening strains. 10 supporting a fiatiron, which means, when the The leg ll extends between thelegs 14 above 10 table is in operative position, leaves the ironing the intersection of the diagonal braces Ill and surface of the board unobstructed but which is below the cross brace IS. The cross brace i6 is so correlated with the board and its supporting provided on its under side with a notch 2! to restructure that when the table is in its folded ceive the leg H when the parts are in unfolded or 15 condition the iron support does not materially operative position, the function of this slot being 15 add to the folded dimensions of the table. later more fully described.

Other and further objects reside in details of The leg II and legs [4 are connected together construction which will be made apparent in the and to the board It] by a linkage system which following specification and claims in which the comprises spaced parallel links 22 pivoted to the advantages of the various novel features of the under side of the board at 23;. rods 24 connecting 2O invention are'more fully set forth. the free ends of links 22 to legs [4, and parallel In the accompanying drawings which illustrate links 25 pivotally connected to the links 22 and one embodiment of the invention, the leg II at 28 and 21 respectively. The respec- Fig. 1 is a side view of the table in unfolded or tive pivotal connections 28 and 29 of the ends of 25 operative position; rods 24 to legs [4 and links 22 are accomplished 25 Fig. 2 is a side view of the table in partially by bending the ends of the rods at right angles, folded position, this intermediate position being passing the bent ends through suitable openings shown to better indicate the movement of the formed in the legs and links and upsetting the parts in'going from unfolded to folded position; endsrivet fashion-against washers 30. This 30 Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underside of the manner of connection secures advantages similar table when in completely folded or inoperative to those discussed with respect to the manner of position; connecting diagonal braces l8. A cross piece or Fig. 4 is a side or edge view of the table in stop member 32 is secured to the links 22 interfolded position; mediate pivots 26 and 29 in position to engage 35 Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on a larger links 25 and leg II when the table is in open posi- 35 scale substantially on line 5-45 of Fig. 1; tion as later described.

Fig. 6 is a detail view on a larger scale, parts As shown, the pivotal connections at l2, l5, being broken showing part of the supporting and 23 are made to blocks 33 which are secured linkage; and to the board Iii by means of bolts or rivets 3c Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on a larger which permit a pivotal movement of the blocks 4 scale substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 1. thus preventing any tendency of the pivot parts Referring to the drawings, l0 designates an to bind during the folding or unfolding of the ironing board of usual or desired shape. A leg table. H is pivoted to the under side of the board at l2, In order to render the entire surface of the on the longitudinal center line of, and adjacent board available for ironing operations and at the- 45 the wide end of, the board. The center portion same time provide a holder for the flatiron when of the leg H is preferably reenforced by short the latter is temporarily unemployed, I provide pieces l3 secured in any suitable manner to op-' a holder in the form of plate 35, preferably posite sides of the leg. A pair of legs I4 are formed of metal, which is so mounted with repivoted to the underside of the board it! at l5 spect to the board and so connected to the table 50 which point is approximately at the longitudinal supports that the plate automatically moves to a center of the board as shown. Legs It are cross position within the confines of the board when braced at iii and ll and the cross braces are held the table is in folded condition. to the legs by diagonal brace rods l8, the ends As shown, the plate 35 is secured along its outer of which are bent and extend through the legs edge to a supporting member 36 to which are 55 secured parallel rods 31 slidably engaging in guides 38 secured to the under side of the table. The free end of one of the rods 31 is connected by a link 39 to one of the legs M, said link being pivoted to rod 3'3 at 4% and to the table leg at 4|. When the table is in open position the free edge of plate 35 rests on and is supported by the edge of the board as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the table is as follows: Assuming the table to be in open or operative position as shown in Fig, l, in order to close the table, the latter is tilted to rest on legs l4 as indicated in Fig. 2. The right hand end of the board as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is pressed down while the opposite end is raised as indicated by the arrows A and B in said figures; or stated in another way the board It is pivoted clockwise about the pivot point l5. Since the leg I! is free from downward pressure, pivoting of the board about pivot 55 draws leg H in the direction of the arrow 0, which with the downward movement of link 22 tends to break the toggle formed by links 22 and 25, and continued movement collapses the legs II and I4 and the associated linkage against the under side of the board as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the leg l4 moves into collapsed position link 39 draws rods 31 toward the center of the board moving plate 35 onto the surface of the board.

In opening or unfolding the table the reverse of this movement of the parts just described takes place. Considering the open position of the table as shown in Fig. 1, it should be noted that the position of stop member 32 and the dimensions of the various links are made such that when the -parts reach open position and links 25 engage stop 32 said stop 32 also engages leg H and said leg is drawn tightly against stop 32 by links 25 as the toggle 2225 is made. Furthermore cross piece I6 is so positioned and links 24 so dimensioned, with respect to the toggle that leg H is also forced or wedged tightly into notch 2 I. The parts are thus tightly and firmly held together at the points indicated by the letters :0 and y and leg H is held against side sway movement at the point 1/ by notch 2!, resulting in an extremely rigid structure when in operative position. It should further be noted that ordinary movement of the table does not tend to effect its collapse for example the table may be lifted or tilted from either end or lifted bodily from the floor without thereby applying any force tending to break toggle 22--2 5. It may further be noted that in open position the legs and linkage members are positioned in triangular or truss arrangements, see for example, the triangle formed by board I 0, leg II and link 22, as well as the substantial triangle formed by the lower portions of legs I I and [4 with links 24, which triangle opposes the triangle formed by the upper portion of the legs and the board. The diagonals i8 directly truss the legs l4 against sidewise bending. This truss arrangement of the parts together with binding action at :1: and y results in a supporting structure for the ironing board of exceptional strength.

I'claim:

1. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, leg members for supporting said board and collapsible against the under side of the board, a rest for a fiat iron slidable over the upper surface of the board, operating means connected to the outer edge of said rest and slidably supported on the under surface of the board and link means connecting one of the, leg members to said operating means to actuate, the latter to move the rest from a slightly overlapping relation with the board when the legs are in unfolded position to substantially complete overlapping relation with the board when the leg members are collapsed.

2. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, leg members pivotally connected to the underside of the board and adapted to be arranged in crossed relation to support the table in operative position, means to releasably hold said leg members in table supporting position comprising a link connected to the table at one side of the legs, a link connecting the free end of the first named link to the adjacently pivoted leg member, a link connecting the other leg member to the first named link to form a toggle, and means to limit movement of the toggle members, in the unfolding direction, to the made position of the toggle, said toggle being breakable in the opposite direction to permit folding of the leg members against the under side of the board.

3. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, leg members pivotally connected to the under side of the board and adapted to be arranged in crossed relation to support the table in operative position, a cross member carried by one of the leg members and engageable by the second leg member when the leg members are in operative position, a toggle connection between the board and said second leg member, that member of the toggle which is connected to the board being extended beyond the knee of the toggle and linked to the first leg member, and a stop member carried by one of the members of the toggle, both said cross member and said stop member being positioned to be tightly engaged by said second leg member when the toggle is in made position.

4. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, leg members pivotally connected to the under side of the board and adapted to be arranged in crossed relation to support the table in operative position, a toggle connecting one of said leg members to the table, means to prevent movement of the toggle members in one direction beyond made position, and a link connecting the second leg member to one member of the toggle, whereby pivoting of the board about said second leg member will break the toggle when the first leg member is free of contact with the floor.

5. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, a pair of transversely spaced legs pivoted to the underside of the board, a single leg pivoted to the under side of the board and adapted to be arranged in crossed relation to and between the pair of legs to support the table in operative position, a toggle formed of spaced parallel pairs of links connecting the single leg to the under side of the table, means to prevent movement of the toggle members in one direction beyond made position, that pair of members of said toggle connected to the table being extended beyond the knee of the toggle and the single leg, and links connecting the free ends of said extended toggle members to respective legs of said pair of legs.

6. In an ironing table comprising an ironing board, and supporting means therefor, including a pair of transversely spaced legs connected to the under side of the table, horizontal upper and lower cross braces connecting said legs, and diagonal brace rods, the end portions of said brace rods being bent and extended through the overlapping portions of said legs and cross braces,

the ends of the rods being upset to tightly hold said cross braces to the legs.

7. An ironing table comprising an ironing board, supporting members pivoted to the under side of the table and adapted to be releasably held in crossed formation to form a support for the board, said holding means comprising a toggle connecting one of said supporting members and the board, means to prevent movement of the toggle members in one direction beyond made position, one member of said toggle extending beyond the pivot point of the toggle and a link connecting the free end of said extension to the other supporting member.

8. In an ironing table which includes an ironing board and supporting means therefor including a pair of spaced legs, upper and lower cross braces transversely connecting said legs and diagonal brace rods connecting diagonally opposite ends of said cross braces, the end portions of said braces being bent and extended through the overlapping portions of the legs and cross braces, the ends of said rods being upset in rivet fashion to hold the cross braces to the 10 legs.

GEORGE W. LEWIS. 

